Reinforcement shapes clines in female mate discrimination in Drosophila subquinaria.

ABSTRACT: Reinforcement of species boundaries may alter mate recognition in a way that also affects patterns of mate preference among conspecific populations. In the fly Drosophila subquinaria, females sympatric with the closely related species D. recens reject mating with heterospecific males as well as with conspecific males from allopatric populations. Here, we assess geographic variation in behavioral isolation within and among populations of D. subquinaria and use cline theory to understand patterns of selection on reinforced discrimination and its consequences for sexual isolation within species. We find that selection has fixed rejection of D. recens males in sympatry, while significant genetic variation in this behavior occurs within allopatric populations. In conspecific matings sexual isol

SUBMITTER: Bewick ER 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4278409 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature